Over the next four days, I will be willingly watching almost every second of NFL Network’s coverage of the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN for daily diaries for WEEI.com.
I know, not all heroes wear capes. You can thank me later for taking on this arduous task in the name of looking for Patriots-nuggets.
But in all seriousness, these four days of drills and measurements will be hugely consequential for teams’ draft rankings across the board.
40-yard dash times will vault players into the first round. Three-cone drills will tank draft stocks for players at every position. A difference of one inch in arm length could be the difference in millions of dollars for dudes in their early 20s trying to break into the league.
As silly as this all is, it really does matter.
With all that’s at stake, and given how important this draft is for a Patriots franchise in full rebuild mode selecting No. 4 overall, let’s give this thing its proper due.
Here’s my diary from the day one broadcast in Indy:
3:02 p.m. - As Rich Eisen set the scene with draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, the former NFL scout made it clear that the stars of the day were the first group up - the defensive tackles.
“I think the reason there is buzz today is because of the groups we’re going to see today,” said Jeremiah. “This is a defensive line-heavy draft. Defensive tackle, edge rushers - absolutely loaded at those two positions. And they’re gonna kick us off here.”
3:04 p.m. - The first player to be spotlighted on the day was Michigan’s Mason Graham, who has been a name linked to the Patriots in all sorts of mock drafts in recent weeks.
While Graham did not participate in any of the on-field drills on Thursday, the broadcast made sure to give its flowers to the defensive tackle most likely to come off the board first on April 24th.
Jeremiah said, “This Michigan defense - that was the guts of that defense that won that national championship inside, as you look at Mason Graham right here, who has a wrestling background going back to high school. And you can see it with how he plays, with the balance, the strength, the power. He’s gonna be a top 10 pick, most likely.”
3:09 p.m. - NFL Network sideline reporter Stacey Dales checked in on the broadcast to explain why Graham wouldn’t be partaking in drills, and shared a conversation she had with Graham earlier in the week.
“Rich and D.J., I love the combine,” said Dales. “I fall in love with all these players. But in this first group, one of those superstars is out of [Rich’s] alma mater, Michigan - the star defensive tackle Mason Graham.
“I will actually tell you guys, he’s not gonna do anything out here on the field today, because he’s dealing with a left heel bruise. They don’t wanna push it. They’re gonna wait for his pro day at Michigan - that is March the 21st. But there’s not a whole lot you just can’t fall in love with when it comes to Mason Graham. His character’s off the charts.
“He told us this week, ‘There’s no mystery to who I am. I love football. I’m all about business.’ But his impact on the field, obviously really special at Michigan. I asked him this week to describe what he thinks his game looks like or feels like, and he told me, ‘I feel like I’m just dominant.’ He said, ‘I’m the most, or I’m at least one of the most, consistent players on every down.’ He said, ‘I’m dominant on every down,’ and there isn’t a down he likes to take off. His snap count has gone up every year at Michigan. He doesn’t wanna come off the field. They don’t wanna take him off the field. In fact, last season, almost 550 snaps in 12 games. But in 10 of those games, 45-plus snaps, and it’s that consistency, with all that time on the field, he is most proud of. I can’t wait to see him at his pro day.”
3:11 p.m. - With Jeremiah setting the scene for a deep draft class at defensive tackle, and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel sharing with the media on Tuesday that the team would be willing to move the No. 4 pick if the right deal became available (more on this sentiment later), it allowed for the defensive tackle group’s drills to still hold weight for New England fans ready to dive head-first into draft content.
Add in a report from The Athletic on Thursday saying the Patriots front office was planning to prioritize rebuilding “the trenches” this offseason, and this position group’s drills basically became appointment television for the Foxborough Faithful.
But with no Graham to over-analyze, who were we to turn our attention to?
In steps Derrick Harmon from Oregon.
“Now of course, we’ve gone through some of the names of individuals who have opted not to compete - don’t worry, there are going to be plenty of individuals who will be competing,” said NFL Network’s Peter Schrager, who was a part of Thursday’s broadcast at the studio desk.
“I look to a transfer student who started off at Michigan State, went to Oregon and had a fantastic season this year for that top team. I look at Derrick Harmon. I wanna see him today, and see how he competes. 82-inch wingspan, big boy in the middle for the Oregon Ducks. A defensive tackle, 310 pounds. He’s gonna be out there, he’s gonna be competing, while other guys are saying, ‘You know what? My numbers speak for themselves. I let my pro day stuff do it.’ Derrick Harmon wants to be out there. I love that, and I think he’s gonna dominate today.”
Subtle shot by Schrager at Graham? Are we already worried about Graham’s compete level?
3:12 p.m. - This marked the beginning of what ended up being a nice running joke for the broadcast throughout the day, as Eisen welcomed NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport to the broadcast after his reported semi-physical altercation with FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz set football Twitter on fire over the last 24 hours.
“He is the Jake Paul of NFL Network,” said Eisen. “Lots of buzz - he’s trending, no punches thrown, Ian Rapoport. Rap Sheet?”
“Ah, thank you Rich,” Rapoport responded with an air of comedic timing.
“He looks a little under-caffeinated, actually,” Jeremiah chimed in with a laugh.
“No, I’m properly caffeinated,” said Rapoport. “Lotta great coffee brands. Dunkin’ does a really nice job. Peet’s is actually a fantastic coffee. I could go on and on about the coffee brands that I love. That’s not for right now.”
Rapoport making a point to highlight Dunkin’ and Peet’s was a not-so-subtle shot at Schultz, who is the son of former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz.
I, personally, can’t get enough of this ridiculous story, and the jokes about this altercation throughout the day by almost every broadcaster involved made me laugh every single time. Good on the NFL Network crew for not ignoring the elephant in the room and having fun with the insanity.
Heck, even Inside the NBA on TNT was talking about it on their broadcast tonight:
3:13 p.m. - All Rap Sheet jokes aside, the man gave us the latest on projected No. 1 pick Abdul Carter, and why the Penn State star wasn’t participating in drills with the defensive ends later in the day.
Rapoport said that during medical testing earlier in the week, a “stress reaction” was discovered “in his foot.”
“My understanding - it is a very small spot, something that is not giving him pain,” said Rapoport. “And when he’s talked to doctors, he has told them, ‘This is not something that hurts me.’ Surgery was considered to be a possibility, but agent Drew Rosenhaus, who represents the player, said that they are not opting for surgery, believe it is not necessary.”
Rapoport went on to say that Carter will be performing at his pro day in Happy Valley on March 28th, and that the player believes he will have no issues moving forward.
Look, he’s probably still going No. 1. Which means as of today, he’ll be in a Tennessee Titans uniform come September. And if that makes you upset, you can blame some combination of Joe Milton III and Jerod Mayo.
…with that said, this ambiguous foot issue does open the door for a fall within the first few picks. And with the Browns at No. 2 and Myles Garrett still on their roster as of today, and the Giants at No. 3 having just traded for Brian Burns last offseason, there’s a glimmer of hope for Carter to land in New England’s lap at No. 4.
All of this changes, of course, if the Browns trade Garrett. Or if this foot thing really turns out to be nothing. Or if a bunch of trades happen at the top of the draft. Or - well, you get the point.
It’s too early to have anything set in stone. Feel free to continue holding out hope for Carter, but make sure your expectations are tempered.
3:21 p.m. - Early into the running of the 40-yard dash by the defensive linemen, a large man by the name of Darius Alexander out of Toledo immediately jumped off my screen.
The dude is an eighth-of-an-inch away from 6-foot-4, and weighs in at 305 pounds.
And as he took that first step out of his stance on his first attempt at the 40, I was immediately intrigued.
It was among the quickest first steps that I saw on the day, running a smooth 4.96 with no stiffness in his gait. He looked like a natural. And his 10-yard split was a 1.73 - an elite mark for a player at his size.
“This is a top 50 player for me in this class,” said Jeremiah. “He’s got long arms. He can knock you back. He can really bend and move. He was excellent at the Senior Bowl, Rich. And just under 6’4, 305 pounds - he carries it well.”
If the Patriots go with another position at the top of the draft, Alexander would be a welcome addition, for me, as a player selected at the top of the second round.
3:29 p.m. - It was time for Harmon to start living up to the hype as he stepped to the starting line for his first go at the 40, and he delivered.
The 6-foot-4 freak banged out a 4.97 on his 40, with a 10-yard split of 1.77. It was equal parts stroll-in-the-park/terrifying-that-a-man-that-big-can-move-like-that-so-effortlessly, and it immediately validated why he’s ranked the 26th best player overall in this year’s draft class on Jeremiah’s most recent rankings for NFL.com.
“He has got really quick hands,” Jeremiah said shortly before Harmon’s run. “Look at his body type and look down at his ankles. He’s got athletic-man’s ankles. He doesn’t have those big 'cankles,' he’s got some nice lean ankles down there. That means he can get out and go. He’s an athlete. He’s got real quick hands, and he lives on the other side of the line of scrimmage.
“And his interviews, by the way, talking with teams this week, have been outstanding. Listed as one of the favorites.”
I have a feeling that Harmon will be long-off the board by the time the Patriots are picking in the second round. If this man is to land in New England, it would be via the team trading back somewhere in the top half of the first round.
3:46 p.m. - Eisen shared a quote from earlier in the week that speaks to Graham’s confidence in his abilities, which is part of the mentality you would want in a player selected at No. 4 overall.
Eisen said, “Mason Graham this week, when asked if there were a couple of plays that he would want to have shown to scouts, he said, ‘Roll back the whole Ohio State tape,’ is what he said.”
Graham was dominant in that upset performance in Columbus, accounting for a season-high 7 tackles from the interior in what would be the final college game of his career.
“He was pretty darn-good against Alabama in the playoffs last year, too,” said Jeremiah. “I mean, there’s a lot of high-mark games for him. I went and saw him live when they played [at Oregon]. And I was at that game, and I went down onto the field before the game. And I, you know, scouts - you’re taught to go the field and body-type the players, and see what they look like physically.
“So I go down, I see Mason Graham, I go, ‘Oh my gosh, I have overgraded this guy.’ I mean, I gave him such a huge grade, but he doesn’t necessarily look prototypical in terms of the length and the body type. And then I proceeded to watch the game, and said, ‘Nope. Nope, we’re good. We’ll leave that grade right exactly where it is.’”
3:52 p.m. - With the bar already set incredibly high after his first 40, Harmon stepped up to the starting line for attempt No. 2.
And somehow, he exceeded expectations.
He ran a 4.95, with a 10-yard split of 1.74.
“Yeah, it’s just relaxed - look at that,” Jeremiah said while Harmon was mid-stride.
“That’s my 26th overall player, and I think he’s got an outstanding shot at finding his way into the first round.
As I said earlier, it’s going to take some creativity to land this guy.
4:13 p.m. - Our first truly local flavor of the broadcast appeared, as Boston College defensive lineman Cam Horsley joined the festivities for the on-field drill portion of the afternoon.
At 6-foot-4 and 306 pounds, Horsley was a force on the interior for BC’s defense throughout the 2024 season. It was no surprise that the New Jersey native got the invite to Indianapolis.
The first drill the defensive linemen ran through after the 40-yard dash was called the “wave drill,” which consisted of a coach on-field directing the players to make quick-twitch direction changes while running full speed.
Horsley got this drill done with ease. But unfortunately for the former Eagle, that wasn’t the case throughout the rest of the afternoon.
4:22 p.m. - During the “four bag agility drill,” Harmon put on yet another show. So much so, that NFL Network tracked his path on the rep a few minutes later to highlight how smoothly he went through the drill. He looked fast, and all his steps over the bags were towards the middle of the pad, which was mentioned throughout the day as a point of emphasis while running this drill.
4:23 p.m. - Horsley, on the other hand, did not have such luck running the same drill.
His steps over the bags were more towards the ends than the middle, and his shoots through the gaps lacked explosiveness. It looked like he was standing up more than others while going through this one.
And during the sprint-out at the end of the drill, it’s almost as if he was pulling up before completing the rep. There was a stiffness to the sprint that was noticeable.
4:29 p.m. - It had been a few minutes, so it was time for some more Harmon praise from the broadcast booth.
For one of the many player-comp packages played throughout the broadcast, Jeremiah introduced their piece for Harmon, comparing him to future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Chris Jones.
“If you look at the numbers for Derrick Harmon, like we were just talking about - it’s always fun to compare him. Not bad for Derrick Harmaon to be in that company when you’re just looking at the height-weight-speed-length testing here.”
4:30 p.m. - Let’s talk about Joshua Farmer from Florida State for a second, shall we?
During a drill called “run and club” that consisted of defensive lineman punching tackle bags as they rushed up field and hard cut towards the sideline, Farmer jumped off the screen for me.
His first step was crazy quick, and his hands were violent as he went through the drill.
Earlier in the day, the 6-foot-3, 305-pound DT ran a 5.11 40-yard dash with a 10-yard split of 1.77.
The explosiveness with this guy is no joke, and he is officially on my radar in a big way as draft season progresses.
4:54 p.m. - I hate to dump on Horsley, but I couldn’t ignore the local guy I had spent the last fall covering having such a bad showing on the day in Indianapolis.
In the “run the hoop” drill, players were tasked with staying low while running a figure-eight pattern around two large circles on the field. While making the run, they were also tasked with picking up and placing down two different rolled up towels at two specific spots in the pattern.
Horsley stayed super high the entire drill, lifting both towels up towards his head before placing them back down. As he made the final turn towards the sprint at the end of the drill, he almost slipped and fell, prompting Jeremiah to comment on Horsley’s “short steps.”
“Are you supposed to raise the towel like the Olympic torch?” Eisen and Jeremiah joked.
5:02 p.m. - With the least surprising news of the day, Harmon dominated the “run the hoop” drill. So much so that he, yet again, received special post-production treatment to show how well he went through the drill. This time, it was an incredibly cool freeze-frame-type animation that showed where he was at every turn all at once as he ran around the hoops.
This dude is a stud, guys. Have I made that clear yet?
5:04 p.m. - During the “body control drill,” Alexander out of Toledo jumped off the screen yet again.
In what amounts to a drill with cones that shows off both players’ short-burst abilities as well as ability to change direction, Alexander’s athleticism was on full display.
“Yeah, he looks - he can move,” said Jeremiah as Alexander glided through the drill with force. “That’s smooth. There’s no wasted movement. He doesn’t get stuck when he’s changing direction. There’s no pause there. Especially at the end of a long workout, that’s impressive.”
5:23 p.m. - During the transition from the defensive tackle portion of the day to the defensive end portion of the day, Rapoport checked in with the latest news and notes from around the league.
And with the reports coming down of the Patriots wanting to focus on rebuilding their trenches this offseason, I thought these two nuggets from Rap Sheet were worth noting:
“The Dallas Cowboys and Osa Odighizuwa - one of the top defensive tackles available - they have been engaged in contract negotiations. This, according to head coach Brian Schottenheimer. They’re not done yet. My understanding is not particularly close, but they’re working to try and somehow get this done.
“Meanwhile, for the Kansas City Chiefs, we also had a development there. Trey Smith, the best guard on the free agent market, is now not on the free agent market. Sources say he has been informed the Chiefs are franchise tagging him. It’s $23.4-or-so million. One year, fully guaranteed. The Chiefs will try to do a long term deal with Smith, who should be the highest paid guard in the NFL.”
Two dudes the Patriots should have had an eye on are, essentially, coming off the market. Bummer.
5:24 p.m. - Vrabel in the booth! Vrabel in the booth!
Unfortunately, much of what he had to say was pretty boilerplate, and echoed a lot of his sentiments from his press conference on Tuesday with the assembled media.
When asked where his head was at with the fourth pick, Vrabel covered all his bases.
“Having a quarterback, you know, I have to look at the premiere players,” said Vrabel. “And then obviously, you know, if somebody wants to come up for a player, and we feel like it’s a good value for us, we’re gonna have to look at every option. But, you know, you need to look at premiere players at that part of the draft.”
The most interesting nugget from Vrabel came when the topic of two-way phenom Travis Hunter was brought to the conversation by Jeremiah.
He asked, “Have you been insulted at all? Because I feel like with Travis Hunter, everybody’s talked about Champ Bailey and Charles Woodson, and I feel like you’ve not gotten mentioned properly in this conversation.”
Jeremiah, of course, is referencing Vrabel’s occasional snaps at tight end on goal line situations, leading to receiving touchdowns in two different Super Bowl wins for the Patriots.
Vrabel immediately jumped in, saying, “I’m sure Travis doesn’t even know, but we were kind of jawing back-and-forth as he left last night, and I said, ‘You’re not the only one to played two ways film. Like, there were some other guys that did this, too.’ And he kind of looked at me and we laughed.”
First of all, hilarious trolling by Vrabel.
And secondly, it’s notable that the team seemingly had an official visit with Hunter, who is projected to be among the first few players off the board in April. Depending on how the next few weeks shake out, there’s a real chance New England will have a decision to make on whether or not to draft Hunter at No. 4 overall.
Is he a corner? Is he a wideout? Is he both?
We shall see.
5:43 p.m. - As the defensive ends ran their 40-yard dashes, it was a cavalcade of dudes running in the high 4s and looking super athletic while doing it.
But then, James Pearce Jr. from the University of Tennessee stepped up to the starting line.
At 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds, you could tell me this guy plays any position on the football field, and I would believe you.
And after what he did with his 40 on Thursday, I would believe you even further.
At his size, while wearing a hoodie, the man ripped off a 4.50 40-yard dash. It was an absolute sight to see, as the 21-year-old didn’t even appear to break a sweat while posting, at that time, the fastest 40-time of the day.
Beast.
5:47 p.m. - A few minutes later, Dales chimed in with a conversation she had with Pearce shortly after his impressive 40.
“The reason he’s wearing the hoodie, he just told me, is he forgot his other shirt, I would assume, back at the hotel room,” said Dales. “But it was a 4.50 unofficial, so clearly it didn’t affect him too much.
“And he told me he’s ‘smooth with it.’ He’s gonna run again, and I said, ‘How fast do you wanna go?’ He said, ‘Just fast.’ And by the way, that special tape on the back of his legs is just KT tape.”
This kid officially rocks.
5:59 p.m. - After 15 minutes of texting with all my buddies about this dude’s impressive 40-time, it was time for Pearce to step up to the line again.
Just before doing so, NFL Network threw up a graphic comparing Pearce to Burns on the Giants, pointing out all the similarities they have with their measurables as well as similar combine numbers.
“If you’re being comp’d with Brian Burns, you’re in good shape, let’s put it that way,” said Eisen.
After two false starts, Pearce burst out of his stance for his second go at the 40. And once again, he turned heads.
This time, it was a 4.47. And when they cut to a tight camera shot of Pearce mid-run as they went to commercial break, you could see the former Volunteer crack a smile.
That was the look of a man that knew he just made himself a whole bunch of money after completing the sprint of his life.
6:13 p.m. - Some more local flavor hit the broadcast, as ACC Defensive Player of the Year Donovan Ezeiruaku hit the field for the “wave drill.”
The Boston College standout did not run a 40, but did participate in all the drills that followed.
“Oh here we go, Ezeiruaku getting some work in,” said Jeremiah with excitement.
“He’s in the mix to be a first round pick. He is productive. He knows how to rush.”
At 6-foot-2 and 247 pounds, most mock drafts have Ezeiruaku landing somewhere in the late-first or early second round. For a player slightly smaller than his peers on the edge, this projection speaks to just how dominant he was in 2024 for the Eagles, leading the nation in sacks with 16.5 on his way to winning the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s top defensive end.
As you would expect from the uber athletic Ezeiruaku, the 21-year-old looked smooth throughout all the post-40 drills for defensive ends on the night.
What he runs for a 40-time at his pro day at Boston College in March will likely play a huge factor in where the undersized DE is inevitably selected in April.
7:44 p.m. - In the same way Harmon received much of the spotlight early on in the broadcast, Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell was the favorite son of the last group of the day - the linebackers.
“So here’s the man of the hour, Jihaad Campbell from Alabama,” said Eisen as he made his way to the starting line.
At nearly 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Campbell has the prototypical build for a successful inside linebacker at the pro level.
And after running a 4.52 40-yard dash, it looks like he’s got the speed as well.
“Yeah, that’s a fantastic time for Jihaad Campbell,” said Jeremiah. “It’s just clean. And then again, just relaxed, striding it out. And again, there’s some times where you don’t see a DNA match from the tape to the time. That one is the speed that you see when you watch him play. He plays that fast.”
7:53 p.m. - The broadcast broke out a post-production feature called the “simulcam,” where they superimpose a combine attendee from previous years over a highlight of a player from this year’s combine running the same drill at the same time.
This time, they used it to show Campbell’s 40 up against the 40 of Texans standout defensive end and fellow Crimson Tide legend Will Anderson, who ran a 4.62 in 2023 and is known league-wide as one of the fastest pass rushers in today’s game.
When they did the freeze frame, Campbell was a full body-length ahead of Anderson by the end of the run. What was already an impressive run from Campbell somehow became even more impressive.
8:01 p.m. - After a time of 4.53 on his second attempt at the 40, Jeremiah gave Campbell one of the highest-level player comps you can receive in today’s NFL.
“Yeah, when you see the numbers as they spit out, there’s a lot of similarities there - ran a little faster, there - than Fred Warner,” said Jeremiah. “I’d say player-wise, Fred played, you know, instinct-wise a tick ahead of Jihaad. But Jihaad [has] a little more burst, which is reflected in that 40-time. But Fred has been a gold-standard for quite some time.”
Heading into Thursday, Campbell was seen as a late-first/early-second level prospect. You have to wonder with his performance both in the 40 and in the on-field drills afterwards if Campbell can climb back into the top half of the first round.
While an inside linebacker isn’t a pressing need for New England in 2025, I wouldn’t mind seeing a blue chipper like Campbell added to a locker room in desperate need of a talent upgrade across the board.
Sometimes, you just have to pick the best player available.
Come back to WEEI.com on Saturday morning for a day two diary, where we’ll break down the 40-times and on-field drills for defensive backs and tight ends.